


Havoc

by Michael_Ackart



Series: No Man's Land [1]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Anal Sex, Bottom!Shepard, Canon-Typical Violence, Custom Commander Shepard, Established Relationship, Humans, M/M, Smut, Top!Kaidan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-05
Updated: 2015-06-05
Packaged: 2018-04-01 13:35:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4021819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Michael_Ackart/pseuds/Michael_Ackart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>More than one hundred years ago, the people of the old world destroyed themselves. Factions have since risen in their place to carve out a living in the wasteland and invoke some sort of order. Commander Shepard and Lieutenant Alenko of the Alliance scout a new town and run into trouble - but not the trouble they were expecting</p>
            </blockquote>





	Havoc

**Author's Note:**

> Nov 2017: Gave this an edit to change it to present tense, so that it matches 'Mayhem' (and also just to clean up a bit since it's been two and a half years since this was first posted). Be sure to check out part 2! Follow me - **gaycalshepard.tumblr.com**

A man with dark brown hair sits with his filthy boots propped up on a desk. His eyes are closed as he hums along to a song on the radio. It is early, much earlier than he wants to be awake for, but such is the life for a commander in the Alliance. Of all the factions, the Alliance is one of the youngest. Yet despite that, they have expanded quickly and are able to protect their people out on the border of hostile lands.

They share a border with the Turians, the faction with the strongest and largest military of them all. After a rocky initial meeting, the top leaders of both work together. Sometimes. A Turian is currently at their base, a soldier named Nihlus. No one is quite sure why he’s around nor do they believe the lie Captain Anderson gave.

Even a few Asari passed by a few days back. Thessia is far north but they seem to be everywhere. It’s hard to miss them, every single one of them is distinguished by their biotic abilities and blue tinged skin--a result of living in a place with mild radiation. But not every biotic is blue or an Asari, the commander at the desk is living proof of that.

He almost jumps when someone slams the door to his office open and strides in. But he’s much more composed than that and instead says, “Where the fuck’s the fire, Anderson?”

“That’s no way to speak to your captain, Shepard,” he scolds but there’s no real bite behind it. David Anderson is in charge of Terra Nova, the base sitting at the edge of the Uncharted Lands to the south and No Man’s Land to the east. It’s not the greatest post but Shepard is glad to work with some of his favorite people. Anderson is a close friend and Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko has been his best friend and boyfriend for just over a year.”

“Well, what’s up?”

“You and Alenko are supposed to scout that town to the south. Look for supplies, clear out any bandits, you know the drill.”

“But it’s hot,” he complains.

“It’s always hot here. Besides, the temperature’s been lower than average for days-”

“Okay, okay.” He yawns and stretches. “Are you sure we were supposed to do that today?”

“Yes, Kaidan’s already got the Normandy fueled up and ready to go. It’s about an hour away if you don’t get distracted.”

“Or run into trouble.”

“Scouts say that road’s mostly abandoned. You might run into those Asari though.”

“I still don’t get why they’re this far south.”

“Eh, I don’t know. They mentioned some archaeological dig.”

Shepard snorts. “For what?”

“Wasn’t given details. Probably a tech run, you know how they are. Now go, dammit. You’re already running late.”

“Fine, I’m going,” he grumbles. Shepard pushes himself up and out of the room. Almost immediately he runs into Nihlus. “Hi, Niles,” he greets and holds back a laugh when the older man glares.

“Shouldn’t you be working?”

“I’m always hard at work.”

“Really? Because I seem to always find you doing the opposite.”

“You’re exaggerating. Besides, all work and no play-”

“Keeps Terra Nova out of danger.”

“I bet you’re a hit at parties. Now I hate to cut this short but I shouldn’t keep Lieutenant Alenko waiting. Drinks later?”

The man rolls his eyes and brushes past Shepard. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

He grins and continues his strut through the rundown building, grimacing when he’s hit with dusty air and bright sunlight. Terra Nova is definitely one of the dustiest places he’s been to and he still isn’t used to it. He hurries over to the garage and waves to a few friends on the way. Just as Anderson said, Kaidan is waiting for him by Shepard’s motorcycle.

Kaidan smiles then takes one last drag from his cigarette before stomping it out. He’s down to two a day. “Morning, Cal,” he greets before pulling the younger man into a kiss.

Shepard returns it easily, running his hands over the leather vest Kaidan wears. He feels hands slip into his back pockets to grab his ass. “You look good,” he murmurs.

The lieutenant pulls back with a smirk. “Could say the same about you. Maybe we’ll have time in a bit...”

“I plan on stopping in the nearest shady spot so you can fuck me.”

“You’re driving then?”

“Mhm. We should get outta here before Anderson has my head.”

“Yeah, you’re late. Did you fall back asleep after I left?”

“That and I might’ve forgot we were supposed to go today.”

Kaidan huffs then grabs his jacket and goggles. Cal pulls his own gear on before climbing onto his bike. Another minute and they’re off. Cal loves riding on the open road. He fixed the Normandy up himself, and it takes him and Kaidan everywhere. Even though this town is supposed to be just a straight shot down, Shepard predicts they’ll run into a thousand bandits or a mutated pack of lizards or something equally absurd.

After a while, Terra Nova is far behind them. Cal revels in the arms around his waist and the body pressed against his back. A few abandoned shacks and trailers sit along the beat road and to the left is No Man’s. No one has ever been to the other side--wherever it ends--and lived to tell the tale. It’s a mostly unexplored wasteland. Even the hardiest of adventurers have made it just a few kilometers. These days, only the occasional cult member or criminal trying to hide or someone delusional enough to believe a utopia exists at the end of it tries to cross. Even the Krogans can’t handle it and those crazy fucks can tolerate some of the harshest environments.

The only exposure Cal’s had are the mutilated horrors that sometimes wander into Terra Nova’s territory. But he sees nothing right now. He loses track of how long they travel but eventually Kaidan is tapping his arm and pointing west. A camp is in the distance.

“Asari?” Kaidan says.

“Must be. Don’t know who else would wanna come out here.” He tries to look but it’s too far away.

“Watch out!” Kaidan suddenly shouts.

Cal’s gaze shoots forward and he sees a swarm of husks that wasn’t there a second ago. He veers off the road and stops the bike a safe distance away. “Where the fuck did they come from?”

“I don’t know. They just ran onto the road from nowhere!”

Shepard shakes his head and they each grab a gun. The husks are already running towards them. Kaidan is the first to hop off, and he biotically throws them. It’s easy to plant bullets in their heads once they’re down. The creatures aren’t terribly smart or vicious, they’re just a problem in large clusters. Still, Shepard hates them. They’re the remains of humans, irradiated beyond saving. No one knows where exactly they originate from.

“I think that’s the last of them,” Cal says, glancing around.

“Yeah, looks like.” Kaidan walks over to the Normandy and grabs binoculars. “We should head to that Asari camp and make sure they’re alright. I don’t see any movement over there.”

He sighs. “Fine.” They approach the camp cautiously but like Kaidan said, there’s no movement. No one’s here but there’s a dig site not too far away. With the Normandy parked near the campsite, they walk to the trench. A ramp leads about three meters down to a mine entrance.

Cal’s just about to say something when he’s stopped by a shout and gunfire. The two men glance at each other before running towards the sound. Kaidan grabs the metal flashlight from his belt and shines it inside. The cave slopes down and it’s clear that this was man-made. But at what time and for what purpose are unknown. The guns stop and the tunnel fans out.

“We’re with the Alliance!” he calls out, not wanting to get accidentally shot.

“We’re from the Asari Republics!” a voice answers back.

The couple has to be careful stepping over husk corpses. On the other side of the cavern is a lantern. It shines on three women with blue skin.

“You alright?” Shepard asks. “Is this your whole team?”

“Yes. We’re fine, just a scrape,” one answers.

The other two are kneeling down, one’s arm is getting bandaged. “You were the ones at Terra Nova.”

“Correct. I don’t think we ever formally met. Dr Liara T’Soni. The injured one is Anaia, the other Lysa. Both commandos.”

“I’m Commander Shepard, that’s Lieutenant Alenko. Have you run into a lot of husks here?”

“No, this area’s been quiet for weeks. Until today. Come...let us return to camp.”

Liara and Shepard trail behind the others. “So what happened?” he asks.

“Anaia and I were in the tunnels, Lysa stayed outside. The husks came from deeper in. Only a few but unexpected.”

“A hoard just attacked us on the road. Any clue why they’re here?”

“No, we’ll have to look into this more.”

Cal squints against the harsh sunlight when they make it back out. Once on higher ground, he searches the area with his binoculars. “It’s quiet again, for now at least. What are you three going to do?”

“We may head to Terra Nova and call this is to the matriarchs. They’ll decide if reinforcements are necessary.”

“We have our own mission to complete right now. Will you three be alright?”

“We don’t need the Alliance to hold our hands,” Lysa sneers.

Shepard just rolls his eyes. “We’re fine,” the doctor answers. “This is hardly our first run-in with trouble.”

“Just being polite. See you at the base then.”

He unclips his keys from his belt and gets back on the bike. Kaidan settles in behind him, taps his shoulder, then they drive off. “So what do you think?” Shepard asks when they’re on the road.

“Don’t know. We’ll have to ask Anderson about it.”

“Mhm.”

They run into no other obstacles and soon the town is in sight. Shepard slows as they approach, Kaidan says he can’t see any enemies.

“Nothing? Bandits, dogs, anything?”

“Again, no. Someone could’ve seen us coming, probably set up an ambush.”

“Get a barrier ready then.”

“Remember our goal is the hospital. We clear it out and see what’s inside.”

“Got it.”

Kaidan produces a biotic barrier as they go farther in. Half of the town is rubble, the rest is rundown and cracked and dirty. It’s ugly but what bothers Cal is how silent the streets are. Not even a single bird is in the vicinity. They reach the hospital without jumping into an ambush and Shepard kills the Normandy’s engine.

“It’s quiet,” Cal murmurs. “Too quiet...”

“Oh, shut the fuck up,” Kaidan groans and grabs his gun. He leads the way towards the building, rifle aimed ahead. “Should we head through the front door?”

“No, that’s so predictable. Let’s find a broken window to climb through.”

The pair circles around to the side and enters through a patient’s former room. It’s dark and the only thing left inside is a rusted broken bed frame. A thick later of dust covers the window sill and the floor, and Shepard ties his bandana around his face. Kaidan turns on the light attached to his gun and steps into the hallway.

They stalk through the bottom floor and Kaidan is able to salvage a few spare bits of tech. There’s a noticeable lack of bandit camps set up or any traces of someone coming through the area.

“It’s quiet-” Cal starts.

“Finish that sentence and I will punch you in the dick,” Kaidan warns.

He grins. “Stairs?”

“Duh. I’m not wasting time or effort getting us killed in a broken elevator.”

The metal door to the stairwell creaks loudly. They freeze and listen but hear no extra footsteps or voices. They continue, their heavy boots trying to make as soft a noise as possible. Kaidan waits until his boyfriend is positioned beside him before pushing the next door open. He takes just a couple steps before Shepard stops him.

“The hell is that?” Cal asks, pointing to a shadowy spot ahead.

“Looks like junk. Or...a robot?” Kaidan inches forward and then they find out exactly what it is.

“Shoot it!” Shepard hisses when a loud alarm shrieks and bathes the hall in red light. Bullets fly but the machine still rolls towards the closest open door. The couple exchanges a brief look before Cal runs at the mobile alarm. He catches up with it around the corner and unloads two shots into it. The device is destroyed but it’s too late. Shouting and footsteps sound from another part of the building.

They dive behind the nurse’s station in the main area of the floor. Shepard holds his gun close as he looks at the lieutenant. “Fight or flight?” When Kaidan throws him a wicked smirk he gives a grin of his own. They’ll take down all of these fucking bandits.

A group files in through the double doors on the opposite side of the room and they’re shouting in a language neither man understands. Before most of the bandits can duck behind any cover, Cal jumps up and throws a biotic lift at the door. Three people are engulfed in the field and Kaidan follows with a throw. They slam back harshly against the wall, one even breaking through the weaker part of it. By the time the others start shooting, the lieutenant and commander are back behind their cover.

“Did you see that fucking armor?” Shepard asks.

“Never seen anything like it,” Kaidan says. “What language was that?”

“Fuck if I know.”

“Pretty sure these guys aren’t regular mercs.”

“Heh, probably not.”

Kaidan activates his barrier then leans out of cover to drop a few more of the strange fighters. They’re covered in sleek metallic armor with identical white patterns while helmets hide their faces. It is an intimidating sight. It’s like they’re fighting an army of bloodthirsty robots.

“Should we retreat and call for back up?”

The lieutenant looks over when he hears the suggestion. “If we start taking heat, we can make it back to the stairwell.”

“They could be distracting us...”

It’s rare to see Cal so nervous. It isn’t easily detectable in his tone but Kaidan knows him better than anyone. The commander has a slight reputation for acting reckless, even if that’s not necessarily true, but if he’s having second thoughts about this fight...

“My gut’s telling me we should go,” Cal states.

Kaidan nods. “Got a smoke grenade?”

“Of course.” Shepard waits for a break in enemy fire before tossing the grenade in the middle of the room. The small handmade bomb explodes, blocking the two soldiers from view with a thick wall of smoke. They make a run for the door, barriers soaking up any stray bullets that manage to find them through the haze. Kaidan reaches the stairs first and he slams the rusted door open. He runs down a few steps before jumping the rest, feeling his boyfriend close behind. There’s more shouting but it sounds far away.

The bottom floor is still devoid of life as they race towards the previously ignored front entrance. Kaidan rounds the last corner and nearly runs into someone charging at them. He locks him in a stasis as he keeps moving, Cal bashes his gun into his head as hard as he can and knocks him to the ground. His weapon flies from frozen hands and Shepard grabs it. He follows Kaidan out the glass doors and shields his eyes from the sun beaming almost directly above them. They run to where the Normandy’s hidden, Kaidan shoots two people trying to sabotage their ride home.

“Drive!” Shepard says and tosses the keys.

Kaidan hops on and revs the engine. More mercs round the corner and Cal provides cover fire. Once he slides behind Kaidan, they speed off. Shepard watches more people come outside and fires at them until they’re too far away. Cal locks their weapons away but keeps his biotics ready while they dash through the crumbled streets. But the rest of the town holds no ambushes or hidden fighters in its ruins--something the commander still thinks eerie and odd.

The couple doesn’t speak, feeling as if enemies will somehow find them if they utter a word. It isn’t until the town is a gray speck that Kaidan pulls over. Cal double checks that their supplies are still secure then grabs a canteen of juice. He drinks some, then hands it to Kaidan to restore the calories burned by their biotics. Cal examines the gun taken from the dead merc.

“This isn’t a normal gun,” Shepard observes.

“Don’t mess with it too much,” Kaidan warns. “Let the experts at home look at it. I don’t want to end up with a bullet in my ass.”

Cal just rolls his eyes, not bothering with a retort as he traces the elaborate patterns on the gun.

“Ready?” Kaidan asks.

“Yeah.” He puts the weapon away and gets back on the bike. He keeps watch for any bandits or husks but after awhile it’s clear that they’re alone. They pass the Asari camp but the spot is already empty. Shepard’s arms tighten a little around his boyfriend and he rests his head on Kaidan’s shoulder. “Seeing you in action back there...it was pretty hot. Especially your biotics, I love your biotics.”

He feels a chuckle rumble in Kaidan’s chest. “I could say the same about you.”

Shepard pushes his hips a bit against the lieutenant’s back and one of his hands drifts down.

“Not sure it’s a good idea to distract me when I’m driving.”

“I know. Here’s hoping you’ll stop.”

“Under normal circumstances I’d stop right now, bend you over this bike, and fuck you.”

Shepard groans. “Kaidan...”

“Sorry, Cal. Too dangerous.”

He sighs loudly, knowing the older man won’t park until they’ve returned to Terra Nova. The drive feels extra long now. But it’ll be even longer before they can sneak off to their room for a bit. Anderson will need a report after they hand the Normandy off to Cortez in the garage.

Finally the gates are close. One of the couple’s friends is guarding the entrance today, a cheerful young man named Andrews. They wave to him before driving through. Most people are uninterested in their trip, areas get scouted all the time. Shepard’s glad, they don’t have time for distractions.

Cortez isn’t in the garage when they arrive but Kaidan parks in the usual spot, knowing he’ll tend to the bike later. They hang up their jackets and store the rest of their gear. Shepard heads for the exit first.

“Cal.”

He turns around and is immediately yanked into a rough kiss. Maybe they have time for one distraction. He returns the kiss enthusiastically and feels hands squeeze his ass.

“Glad to see you two back in one piece,” someone laughs from the door.

“H-hey, Steve,” Shepard pants between kisses.

He walks past the couple and deeper into the garage to leave them alone. He’s used to their behavior by now, everyone is.

Cal feels himself being pushed backwards until he’s pressed against the wall “Kaidan,” he moans as lips nibble at the sensitive spot on his neck.

“We should go see Anderson now,” he murmurs with one last nip.

“You’re such a bitch.”

The lieutenant just laughs at him before heading outside.

Shepard follows and sees that Kaidan has the strange weapon strapped to his back. He coughs when a gust of wind kicks dust into his lungs. His boyfriend’s already way ahead and he runs to catch up. They go to headquarters, to the room that serves as Anderson’s office. Cal walks in without knocking. The captain is talking with Nihlus and the doctor from the Asari dig site. Liara, if he remembers correctly.

“Yo,” he greets.

Nihlus sighs and Anderson just stares before moving on. “You’re back.”

“We are.”

“And what did you find?” the Turian asks impatiently.

Kaidan puts the weapon down on the desk and before anyone can speak, the couple delves into the story. They start with the initial group of husks and end with escaping the town. They give as much detail as possible about the strange bunch of fighters and their strange gear.

“You can’t just pick this sort of weapon up off the street,” Shepard tells the rest of the room. The Turian and Asari examine it closely.

“I’ve seen these patterns before,” Liara says. “At a different dig site.”

Nihlus glances over at her. “We need to study this more but...this looks like a Geth weapon.”

“You’re telling me, those people in the sexy metal armor were fucking island-dwelling Geth?” Shepard asks incredulously.

“Even if they did come to the mainland, why are they this far from the coast?” Kaidan adds. “They’ve always kept to themselves.”

“Like I said, this needs to be looked into more before we can answer any questions. Dr T'Soni, if you’d come to the armory with me.” They head for the door but then Nihlus whirls around. “This conversation doesn’t leave this room. Understood?” He pins a hard gaze on the couple but mostly at the commander.

“Oh, come on. I can keep a secret!” Cal argues. He doesn’t need to look around to know Kaidan and Anderson are staring at him too now. “You’re all terrible people. Fine, I promise I won’t blab to anyone.” His eyes narrow as the non-Alliance people leave and then he immediately turns to Anderson. “Geth?”

“I know how crazy it sounds. But the Turian and Asari databases have more information on them than we do.”

“Hm. I dunno. But okay. Uhh, the lieutenant and I should get out of your hair now. We’re gonna...go do...hard work.”

“Uh-huh,” the older man says, knowing damn well what he’s up to.

“Yep. Come on, babe.”

“Right behind you. See ya, Anderson.”

The two dusty men put the meeting out of their minds as soon as they exit the office. There will be time for serious discussions later. Right now, they run out of the building and towards the living quarters. Kaidan makes it to their room first. But Shepard’s right behind and kicks the door closed before tackling the older man onto the bed.

“Wait,” he laughs. “We’re getting dirt all over the blankets.”

But Kaidan forgets about that once Cal kisses him and straddles him and grinds his ass against the bulge in Kaidan’s pants. He watches Cal shuck his shirt and his own hands immediately travel along the exposed skin. They’re both eager. He flips them over and attacks his pants. Kaidan pulls them roughly then remembers that they’re both still wearing boots. Shepard laughs as he pulls his feet away teasingly.

“Keep it up and I’ll leave you like this,” the lieutenant threatens.

He laughs again. “No, you won’t.” But he puts his legs down just in case and watches Kaidan practically rip the laces off. “Someone’s in a hurry.”

“We don’t have a lot of time.”

They can’t spend the entire day in bed, that’s true. But nobody’s going to miss them for an hour or two. Shepard knows Kaidan is rushing for an entirely different reason. “You’re still completely overdressed y’know.”

As Kaidan begins shrugging off his own dirty clothes, Cal moves to grab their lube from the nightstand. He rubs some of the cold substance between his fingers then braces himself on his hands and knees. He can feel a warm gaze on him as he rubs slick fingers against his own ass. They slip inside and Kaidan’s breath audibly hitches. He smirks to himself, letting his lover watch.

When he’s teased himself enough, he pushes his hips back. Kaidan drags him closer and stretches out over Cal’s back. He presses kisses against his shoulders and grinds against him. Shepard reaches back to grab a handful of Kaidan and he receives a smack on the ass in return.

“Hurry up and fuck me,” he rumbles. His head drops into the crook of his arm when he feels Kaidan’s dick against his hole. He lets out a deep breath when Kaidan pushes inside. He flexes his hips, reveling in the little gasp it draws from the other man. Kaidan pulls back, then slides right in again. He finds a rhythm they both like, Cal does nothing but moan and take the rough pounding.

This is one of Cal’s favorite things. He loves being with Kaidan this way, loves how fucking perfect it feels when he’s balls deep inside him. And then add the fact that their personalities meld as well as their bodies do? Well, Cal absolutely loves him.

“Ah! Fuck,” he yelps when teeth bite into his shoulder.

“You’re thinking too much,” Kaidan whispers. He puts a little more power behind his thrusts and Shepard’s back arches in pleasure. His fingers curl into the blanket as his ass eagerly swallows the other man’s cock. Once Cal’s mumbling unintelligible words, Kaidan smirks. He loves being with Cal this way too. His mouth returns to Shepard’s skin but this time to suck at his neck instead of bite.

“Harder!” Cal begs.

He gasps when Kaidan pulls out. He pushes himself up but then hands flip him onto his back. He spreads his legs wide and digs his fingers into Kaidan’s shoulders when he’s filled again. Their mouths meet in a sloppy kiss and Kaidan’s arms wrap around him as he slams into Shepard.

Cal’s body tenses, he’s so close. He does his best to meet Kaidan’s thrusts but it’s getting more and more difficult to focus. He’s fucking him just right. Their bed is creaking wildly and Shepard’s moaning loudly but they barely notice. And then Cal is cumming onto his stomach, spasming around the other man’s cock. Kaidan buries his face into the commander’s neck, sinks his teeth into skin, and finishes deep inside him. His hips stutter to a stop, their sweaty chests pressed together for a few moments. Kaidan pulls out with a grunt and Cal’s legs fall flat. His boyfriend collapses onto the mattress and he turns to his side to face him. If he felt lazy before, he sure as hell doesn’t want to return to work now.

“Shower?” the lieutenant eventually pants.

“Mhm.”

It takes a couple minutes longer before either of them actually moves. Cal drags himself to the bathroom while Kaidan shoves their dirty comforter into a bag to take to laundry later. Shepard closes his eyes when he finally steps under the cool stream of water. It feels nice on his overheated skin in this overheated building in this over-fucking-heated wasteland. He hears Kaidan behind him as he scrubs at his hair.

“Today wasn’t so bad,” Kaidan says.

He chuckles. “Kinda fun, yeah?”

Cal’s energy slowly returns as they wash up but he wishes he could spend just a little more time under the water. But less than ten minutes later, Kaidan’s shutting it off too quickly.

They towel dry and Shepard wanders off to find clothes. Kaidan throws on a shirt and underwear before returning to the bathroom. The commander rolls his eyes, knowing he’s styling his perfect hair.

“Do you really think that was the Geth?” Shepard asks when he reemerges into the bedroom.

“I don’t know...it’s hard to believe they’d come this far east.”

“And with armor like that? Probably just some crazy mercs.”

“That’d be my guess.”

Cal pulls on a t-shirt but hesitates with the pants. He hates putting on pants. If Anderson would allow it, he’d just run around naked. He looks over and sees his boyfriend already fully dressed.

“Feeling lazy?” Kaidan teases.

“I just hate the heat.”

“It’s always hot.”

“What are you gonna do?”

“Jenkins mentioned that he needed help with something so I’ll probably go find out what it is. You?”

“Andrews should be getting off soon. I can go play with him.”

“Alright. I’ll see you later.”

His eyes close when Kaidan pulls him into a kiss. Hands roam beneath his shirt to rub at his back.

“Try not to get into too much trouble, yeah?” Kaidan murmurs into his ear.

Cal grins. “If I do, you’ll be the first to know. Love you.”

Kaidan kisses his cheek. “Love you too. See ya at dinner time.”

He leaves and Shepard is alone in their room. He falls onto the bed, wanting to spend a few more minutes inside before heading out. He wonders if he’ll be able to convince Jase to sneak into the armory with him later. Doubtful. The kid follows the rules too closely for his own good. Still, he’s curious to eavesdrop on whatever Nihlus and that Dr Liara talk about.

Determined to cause a little mischief, he leaves his quarters to roam the dusty Alliance base he sometimes hates but also can’t imagine calling anywhere else home.


End file.
